Chapter 1
It was late in the afternoon and most of the women and children were huddled inside \their homes preparing for their dinner. Men would still be lurking in the alleys drinking and having fun at the ladies who pass by. Stall vendors eventually carry their products inside their homes or keep them in crates for tomorrow's sale. But some people would pretend to wait for the incoming darkness just to get a glimpse of the lady with pink hair that passes every sunset carrying her huge basket of tomatoes atop her head. The beauty that would pass by the quiet homes of the villagers, enchanting the married men and kinky adolescents. She's the eyesore for the women in this village. The witch and her bewitching looks. But the girl would just calmly walk through the befuddled villagers and keep her eyes straight to the exit of Konohagakure.
She's just common passers-by. She never belonged in the village after all. She lived far away from her selling route.
Far away from the vulgar eyes of the other villages. In her home, she was safe, she was relieved.
As the sun started to set, Haruno Sakura checked her sale for the day, glancing at the now setting sun, she packed her things, stood up and prepare for her journey home.
This time, she got luck by her side; she almost sold off all her tomatoes leaving 5 pieces in her basket. She inwardly grinned. She started walking through the busy streets of the Mist village. She sure have gotten further away from home today, she sighed.
' I wonder what's for dinner tonight? I shouldn't have gotten carried away and walk a mile just to sell these.' Sakura sighed. Ignoring a few people who walk along side her.
It was a vintage era, samurais were ruling the village of Konohagakure. A hidden village among the leaves. Ruled by the recent leader, and with his dolt of a son who would gladly accept the position when the time comes. Naruto Uzumaki.
Growing up never spoiled and bratty, everyone find it hard to believe when someone as high profiled like Minato Namikaze has a son living like a slob. To be safe in regards to dangers lurking in the shadows, Naruto was given the last name of his mother, Uzumaki.
Naruto would escape the harsh training in the manor all the time and would always end up in the hands of his current personal teacher, Jiraiya or as Naruto would call him as ero-sennin, and sometimes visit his girlfriend, Haruno Sakura, or as what he always proclaims she is.
The pinkette sorted her things into her almost empty basket, propping herself off the bench, and dusting herself off. She hand combed her long locks and settled the basket atop her head. She smiled upon seeing the sunset overtaking the scenery. Walking back to where she trudged at dawn, she gracefully retraced her steps, knowing fully the path even with eyes closed.
The path to her home.
Walking through the villages of Mist and Konohagakure, she continued to ignore the catcalls of men eyeing her toes to her enchanting beauty.
"It's already dark, d'you think she'll pass here today?"
"Of course! That woman is consistent with her daily routine."
"You know the drill right?"
"Yeah, wait till we see that chick"
"You better do your job, the pay's higher than the original offer y'know."
"Just for one lady?"
"Yeah. The woman hates her-"
Passing by the strangers, Sakura turned to them and smiled innocently melting the hearts of the men with the conversation of her as their main topic. Grasping their chests, the men went stiff and could hear their hearts thumping rapidly.
Forgetting the reason why they were there in the first place.
Sakura continued her quiet walk after the small interaction with the two men who happened to be waiting for her, as she assumed.
Upon almost seeing the border of the village, she smiled triumphantly.
'Finally.. I'm almost home'
Taking another step to her walk, a sudden hand clamped her shoulders and got her to jump back and almost loosen her hold on the basket. She spun around and came face to face with the man she hesitated to meet every single day.
"A-ahh.. Naruto-sama" she sighed. Holding unto her basket, she faced the village's leader's son with respect and slight hesitation to his concern with her.
"Good evening Sakura-chan, I told you how many times to call me without honorifics! Why would you even deny that small privilege?"
An irked vein popped unto her temple.
"I'm sorry Naruto-sama, but this is what I want to address the leader's son." She smiled to him, though he still find it annoying to hear that she still uses an honorific to his name.
"Hearing it is like we're not even friends Sakura-chan, like there's a barrier to our friendship." Pouting to relay his point to her. Sakura saw the saddened look of the man in front of her and couldn't afford to see him so down with just hearing her add honorifics to his name. she sighed in defeat.
Though it's true that she couldn't set things up higher between them further than acquaintances, because of some reason, she couldn't digest the sad look Naruto's giving her still, somehow it breaks her heart.
' Friends ' Sakura's one fear, and made her avoid creating one due to past severed relationships. Looking back to the leader's son, she knew that he wants more than friendship and that scared her. That's a reason why she had to acknowledge him as an acquaintance who is a step below friendship, a safer position. She loves him so much that she thinks of him as a friend but still denied him of that position.
She doesn't want to lose him. Like the rest of them. Like her.
Grasping his chin to face her directly, from minty green to the ocean eyes of the man, Sakura sincerely smiled to him, almost giving him a heart attack due to the direct contact of her soft hands and her amazing eyes. like he just received a spear shot through his heart. Swallowing hard the lump of saliva forming in his throat. He was about to say something when Sakura beat her to it, she shook her head knowingly and stared back at Naruto with her sincere smile once again, stopping him further from anything.
" I'm sorry, can I call you with just Naruto then?"
Eyes widening, Naruto glomped at her petite form and nuzzled in her cherry coloured hair earning a surprised squeak from Sakura. Unbeknownst to their small conversation, some people gathered to stare at the rare exchange of the two, with the leader's son hugging the pinkette like he's holding unto his life, the people thought a wedding was about to ensue later on, earning some glares and disappointed looks from men, some even cried and wailed after seeing them hugging, or Naruto hugging and Sakura just patted him on his back. Naruto let go of Sakura, and she saw tears about to fall from his ocean blue eyes, she chuckled femininely, with her palm covering her mouth the guys behind them blushing madly at how graceful and perfect she is, with just even a chuckle coming from her made the guys fall head over heels for her what more can she do to enslave them thoroughly? Naruto just stood there, drinking in the form and actions she made, etching the beauty into his mind, memorizing the details of the beautiful woman in front of him.
After that small talk with her new friend, Sakura continued her way to her home, Naruto even offered to escort her outside the border but she hesitated and denied him of the chance to know her way home.
After finally walking minutes later, the moon already visible in the night sky, seeing the low pitched home and smoke coming out of the chimney, Sakura grinned knowingly.
" He's home"
